#||drabble||

Days Gone Sentence Starters

The fair had been a disaster, and not for any reasons that involved the communities. Had it been just for them, it would have been most likely one of the best days of everyone's life, but the whisperers had used it as a way to catch them with their guard now, and now people were dead. Earl's wife, Henry...

There wasn't anything they could have done to stop it and yet, Connie couldn't help but feel guilt coil in her stomach like a snake burrowing itself in her flesh. She jumped when someone came to view at the corner of her eye. She was certain that she looked like a dear on the headlights as she stared at Daryl, then looked away because she didn't need to feel embarrassed about being caught off guard on top of feeling guilty.

Daryl took her notepad and pen from where she'd left them on the bench, writing on a page before placing it on the table right in front of her so she'd have to read it.

"What's got you brooding out here? It's cold," he'd written.

Connie looked up, narrowing her eyes at him. She wasn't brooding– well, maybe a little; but she didn't feel like she should talk about it– and yet, it was either talking about it to Daryl and getting it out of her chest or having to face Kelly's interrogations later. She'd take her chances with Daryl.

"Do you think if I–" she wrote over the "I" and replaced it with a "we", because had it not been for Daryl, she and the baby wouldn't had made it out of that cornfield. "–if we hadn't saved Adam, if we hadn't gone after Henry and Lydia, maybe she wouldn't have done what she did?"

Even thinking that insisting on helping Lydia might have been a mistake made her feel even more awful. But she needed someone to either deny or confirm her thoughts, even if it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

Daryl took the notepad again, there was a minute long pause where Connie's eyes threatened to get blurry with tears; then the notepad was once again placed in front of her.

"We make the world what it is by what we do," the page said. Connie read it a few times before reaching for the notepad. Daryl was faster, taking it again and adding: "You saved that baby, and you gave Lydia a chance when no one but Henry did. That made this hellhole of a world a bit better."

Tears threatened to leave her eyes for a whole different reason now. Connie's shoulders sagged and she let out a shaky, relieved sigh, not realizing just how much she'd needed those words until now. She was glad Magna wasn't here to see her reaction, or Connie would never hear the end of it.

Days Gone Sentence Starters

The coldness of a winter that had yet to fully leave lingered outside and yet, inside the candle-lit bedroom, the three people on the bed had kicked the heavy blanket to the feet of the bed, legs tangled and hands lazily stroking hair as both Connie and Carol lied with their heads on each of Daryl's arms, staring up at him.

"You're going to take the radio?" Carol asked, both speaking and signing.

Daryl opened his mouth, then closed it and shifted so they'd move their heads to their respective pillows and he'd be able to use his arms, he realized then as he lifted them and flexed his fingers that they'd began to go numb from the weight of the two women's heads.

"Yeah, Judith's got the other one," he assured.

"You should take Dog with you," Connie signed. "He'll miss you."

That, and both she and Carol would feel better if they knew he wasn't completely alone out there. Daryl was the most experienced hunter and tracker in Alexandria, Hilltop and Oceanside combined; but that didn't make him invincible.

"Miss me?" Daryl snorted. "With you two here, he barely even notices if I'm around or not until it's time for him to eat."

"Still," both Connie and Carol insisted almost in unison.

Daryl switched a glance between the two of them, it'd become quite common for Connie and Carol to gang up on him, or that's what he playfully called it when they both agreed on the fact that he should be more careful.

"It'll be just two days, I'll be back before you can start missing me," he tried to reassure them. "Just don't do anything stupid."

Days Gone Sentence Starters

Connie didn't consider herself an unfortunate person, she didn't feel people should pity her, or that she had to feel pity for herself, because she was deaf; but when it came to her ears ringing being the only thing she could actually hear? Well, that she did consider to be fate or whatever higher power pulled the strings of the world mocking her.

She knew it wasn't really a noise, just her brain trying to process the fact there was blood rushing through her body faster than usual and pumping on her temples due to adrenaline, yet that didn't make it any less annoying. But whether she liked it or not —and she definitely didn't—, that damn noise was the one thing keeping her going right now. If she got somewhere safe, if she got to calm down and let her body stop feeling like she was still in that cave or surrounded by walkers, then the ringing would stop. She just had to keep walking, keep walking, keep walking...

Her left knee gave in and since her other leg was also weakened from exertion, Connie crashed to the ground. She managed to stop her head from hitting the ground by landing on her forearms, but that also hurt like hell.

Connie saw movement through the corner of her eye, head snapping up and turning to the right so fast her vision went blurry for a second, she had to blink the dark spots away to be able to focus on the tall figure that stood there, hazel eyes half shielded by the sockets of a walker flesh mask staring at her as if he was looking at a ghost.

This wasn't how she'd expected to see him again, not after how things went between them last time.

Forcing herself back on her feet, Connie forced herself to keep going, dragging her feet as she went cause that made it easier for her to not end up falling again– or so she thought, until her vision went blurry for a second too long and she found the ground getting dangerously close again.

She didn't notice how close Beta had gotten until his arm was wrapped around her torso, keeping her from falling. For someone so big, he sure moved fast. He stared at her, wide eyed and confused, and held her in a way that told Connie he had been looking for her: like he couldn't believe he'd found her, like he was afraid to let go. The thought made hopefulness bloom in her chest. Connie managed to stand on her own two feet, though she kept leaning against Beta just in case.

Beta's mouth opened and closed a few times, lips parted slightly as he reached up and touched her face, trying to rub some of the dirt and plants off before seemingly giving up and just cradling her cheek.

"I thought I lost you," he whispered.

Days Gone Sentence Starters

"There's a few lines I haven't crossed."

Connie wasn't too sure how or when exactly the conversation had taken a turn towards the current topic, all she knew was that there seemed to be some truth to what people said about how wine worked wonders to loosen up the tongue– that or Carol actually trusted her to have this kind of conversation. Connie hoped it was the second option.

"Like what?" Connie asked out of curiosity and because she was just tipsy enough to not consider the consequences of her question.

But not tipsy enough to not notice the way Carol's brows furrowed slightly as she looked away and out at the openness of the ocean. She touched the other woman's knee before signing.

"I've never cheated on a test," Connie said, doing her best to keep the conversation lighthearted. "I tried, but I always got paranoid that I'd get caught." her expression turned thoughtful as she tried to think of another line she hadn't crossed before. Connie glanced towards where Daryl was taking his sweet time to make sure the sails were secured, then back to Carol. Her eyes drifted down to the woman's lips.

If it wasn't for the fact that she'd been staring at Carol's lips more often than it was necessary even before they started drinking, Connie could have blamed the fact she found them quite enticing on the wine. She couldn't blame that on the wine, but certainly could thank it for the sudden courage she felt.

"I've never wanted to kiss a friend's girlfriend before."

She watched Carol's eyes widen and her cheeks turn a dusty pink, which made Connie smile a bit dumbly because damn, she's cute when she blushes.

"What do you mean?" Carol questioned, but didn't give her time to answer. "Daryl and I– oh no, it's not like that. He– we–"

Connie didn't need to hear the rest, the confirmation that Carol was single was enough for her brain to decide it was the best idea in the world to lean forward and make her stop talking but pressing her lips against hers. It was a clumsy kiss, and there was some nose to nose contact before Carol tilted her head and leaned into it, her hand squeezing the one Connie had over her knee.

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Lori found him sitting outside the barn, taking care of his crossbow. Of course that instead of staying inside where it was warm, he was out here freezing and keeping to himself. Daryl was family to all of them and they were to him, but Lori knew he valued his time alone, he did back at the prison, and he did despite everything that happened between its fall and them finding this place to hole up in.

"You should go back inside," she heard him mutter, his back still turned to her.

She held the blanket tighter against her chest when a cold, humid breeze blew past. "And leave you to freeze out here alone?" Lori questioned as she dropped the blanket over his shoulders and sat beside him. "I don't think so."

They both sat in silence until it became clear that Daryl was too distracted to focus on what he'd been trying to do. "If the little ass kicker wakes up and doesn't see you-"

"She's playing with Carl, didn't even look once when I came out here," Lori said, looking him in the eyes. "Now, stop trying to make me leave and give me some blanket."

He did. But Lori could feel how tense he was as their arms brushed against each other.

"What are you so afraid of?" she questioned, expecting him to scoff, to say that he wasn't scared- anything but an actual answer.

"You're getting damn comfortable around me."

"That's because I am," Lori sounded offended.

"Are you really?" whatever it was that Daryl was trying to prove when he leaned in closer, Lori would prove him otherwise.

"Yes." the offense and just a bit of her conviction drifted from her voice because shit, his face was really close now, closer than she ever remembered it being, and that stupid, half mocking smile on his face was making it hard to focus.

"Prove it."

He barely finished the two words sentence before Lori pressed her lips to his, her hand grabbing the back of his neck to keep him close as she felt him relax into the kiss and kiss her back. When they pulled away, it took her a moment to process what he'd said.

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Noah was gonna do it. He walked into the house, heart in his throat and heavy pot in his arms, holding it like it was the only thing holding his composure together. But the sight of the stairs alone made him backtrack, what if she thought it was stupid? Maybe he could just leave it on the kitchen counter and leave, just wait for Beth to find it on her own-

"Noah?" he froze and felt his heart make an attempt at bursting through his chest as he heard her voice behind him just as he was leaving the pot on the kitchen island. "I thought you and Glenn were supposed to be on a run."

That's what he'd told her- and technically, it was the truth, he and Glenn did go on a run, but it wasn't to get supplies- no, supplies would have been easier to find. They'd gone above and beyond to find daffodils, and it took them a few runs, but finally —and with the help of other supply runners— he'd found them.

"Yeah, we were. But we- uh, we got back earlier," he mumbled as he turned around to face her, trying to hide the flowers with his body, but her expression told him that she got a glimpse of them.

"What is that?"

Before he could even attempt to make up an excuse, Beth moved around him and next thing he knew, she was staring wide-eyed between the daffodils and him.

"I… got them for you, cause you said the backyard could use some flowers." he cursed himself mentally for sounding like such an idiot. "Maggie told me they were your favorites."

She also said that she'd make him regret it if he ever hurt Beth, but Beth didn't need to know that.

"Do you like them?" he asked, an anxious edge to his tone.

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The party at Hilltop was at its peak. Connie retreated to the side, taking small sips of her beer as she watched Magna and Luke make a drunk fool of themselves in their own way, Magna getting all touchy with people while Luke kept arguing with a just as drunk Alden about what seemed to be their favorite topic: music.

Connie's attention turned away from the party and to her side when she felt a hand on her arm. She realized it was Daryl and smiled.

"You came!" she signed, heat creeping up to her cheeks when she realized how quick and wide she'd made the signs, unable to hide her joy that he was there. "How long have you been here for?"

"Too long," Daryl signed, only half joking.

Connie could tell by the tension in his movements and jaw that he wasn't comfortable. She touched his hand, giving him an understanding smile before making sure Kelly was too distracted with Magna to look at them.

"Wanna go outside and have a smoke?" she asked, a mischievous grin pulling at her lips as she patted the cigarette pack on her jeans pocket before offering her hand to Daryl. When he took it, Connie led the way through the crowd and out of the house to one of the tables outside.